Electrosurgery is a common procedure for dentists, doctors, and veternarians. Electrosurgical unipolar handpieces are commercially available that will accommodate a wide variety of electrodes shapes and sizes, such as needles, blades, scalpels, balls and wire loops. The conventional unipolar handpiece, such as that available from Ellman International, Inc. of Hewlett, N.Y. comprises an elongated electrically-insulating handle with a central bore and having at a first end an externally threaded part for threadingly engaging an internal thread on an electrically-insulating nose piece also fitted with a central bore. A generally cylindrical metal collet seats in the handle bore at the first end and a collet front portion projects forward from the handle. The collet comprises at its front portion flexible jaws formed by a tapered slitted front with a bore sized to receive the shaft or shank of a conventional electrosurgical electrode, and the nose piece has on its interior a matching tapered portion configured such that, when the nose piece is rotated clockwise (CW) while threadingly engaged to the handle, its tapered interior surface engages and gradually closes down the collet jaws so that the electrode, when inserted into the collet bore, is tightly held by the metal collet and a good electrical connection is made to the collet. The back end of the collet is connected to a wire which connects to a conventional electrosurgical instrument supplying electrosurgical currents which, when activated, via a switch on the handpiece or a foot switch or a switch on the instrument, supplies electrosurgical currents to the collet and via the collet to the electrosurgical electrode. When the dentist or doctor desires to change the shape, size or length of the electrode, it is necessary to loosen the nose piece to unlock the collet, remove the existing electrode, and substitute a new electrode.
This known handpiece, at times, can cause problems, mainly associated with the nose piece if the users are not careful. In the conventional handpiece, the nose piece is easily removable from the handle by rotating the nose piece counterclockwise (CCW). Removability, as such, may not be necessary in many situations. What is necessary, however, is that the nose piece is rotatable so that when rotated in one direction it will lock an electrode to the handpiece, and when rotated in the opposite direction it will unlock the electrode so that the electrode can be removed and replaced with another electrode. Many electrosurgical procedures require the use of several electrodes, so a handpiece is needed that will allow rapid changes of electrodes with minimum effort. The Ellman handpiece is noted for this quality. But, the ease of replacing electrodes has introduced the problem that the surgeon or assistant may not always ensure that the nose piece is properly on and properly tightened to the handle, with the result that on occasion the nose piece will detach from the handle. In most cases, this is not a serious problem, but in some case, if the nose piece detaches while the handpiece is in a patient cavity, harm could result. For example, if the cavity happens to be the mouth of the patient, the nose piece if accidentally detached may be swallowed. Another disadvantage is that if the nose piece detaches, then it or the collet may be misplaced and be unavailable when needed.